The four friends were dishing at the beach. “Maybe it was the spicy pizza… But he cleaned it all up, and then he just held me.”

Now that sounds romantic, thought Annie. Why couldn’t she have waited? It’s only been a couple months…

“You’re so lucky,” said Carol. “Brian usually just rolls over and goes to sleep afterward.”

And that’s just one of the reasons you keep breaking up with him. Why do you always take him back? Annie sighed.

“What?” asked Janey.

“Nothin’.”

“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a boyfriend. You don’t even know what it’s like to be in love,” said Tammy. She was a year younger than the other girls, and she was starting to get a reputation.

Annie stared at her feet. They were right. But at least I don’t have a jealous and overly possessive boyfriend who even tries to tell me what to wear… or a selfish boyfriend... or a whole string of meaningless hook-ups. I know; she doesn’t do it, but she does just about everything else… Annie got up and headed toward the ocean. “I’m going for a swim.”

“Yeah, go ahead and take another cold shower,” laughed Tammy.

Annie walked to the shore, side-stepping all the trash in the fine sand. Some friends. They remind me of the girls in that book. It was a bestseller. Everyone raved about it. But I thought the girls were just, like, dumb! They jumped into bed with, like, every guy they went out with, before they even got to know them. So of course they were disappointed when things didn’t last...

They just don’t get it. It’s the ones who ‘get away’ that they’ll always remember… Annie knew this was true, even with her very limited experience. Ya have to be friends first… There has to be a bit of mystery, especially when they’re just getting to know you... And then if things don’t work out, you can still be friends. Right?

She stood at the shore with her feet in the frigid water. She chuckled at herself. No wonder I don’t have a boyfriend, I talk to myself. The only one who listens to me is me.

A sudden breeze whipped her hair into her face. A white seagull landed not too far away. Annie watched it pecking at a peanut in the wet sand. After a time it managed to crack the shell and was just about to fly off with its reward when a brown gull appeared on the scene. It tried to grab the peanut away from the first, but the white gull held fast. They tussled in the air. In the end the white gull flew away, high, free, and with its prize.

You go Whitey. Don’t give up, Annie said silently to the gull.

She smiled. Thanks, God. I won’t give up either. At least You’re always with me, huh? You listen…

After a quick dip, Annie went to re-join her friends. They’re not all bad, but they are drifting away from You. They’re just… confused, like that brown gull. Some things just take time; ya have to work for it, wait for it… Ya can’t just snag the first thing you see. -- It may be meant for someone else.

Annie had an idea.

She plopped down on her beach blanket. “Hey, Saint Mary’s is looking for Sunday School teachers. You guys wanna co-teach a class?” God, please let them say, ‘Yes.’ They need to be reminded of Your lessons.

The girls groaned. “Are you going to college or a convent?” asked Carol with a smirk.

“It counts towards our community service requirement…”

“You can count me in,” said Janey. “I used to love Craft-time with Christ. And it’ll look good on my resume.” Janey was an education major and dreamed of teaching Kindergarten.

Let’s just hope she doesn’t end up a parent before she’s ready...

“What are you two looking at?” said Carol.

“Come on,” said Janey. “It’d be fun.”

“No way,” said Tammy.

“Wait,” said Carol, “Isn’t there a class for college kids, too?” She smiled. “At cheerleading practice I heard Trey say he was gonna go on Sunday mornings, the later class. You know, Trey, our tall, dark, and gorgeous star quarterback…?”

“No… Yes!” yelled Tammy.

The girls laughed.

She is, like, too boy crazy. But I guess that’s one way to motivate them… It’s a step in the right direction, right?

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I really enjoyed this story! Wonderfully realistic dialogue--I could just hear those four teenage girls. Vivid descriptions, too--I could see the brown seagull trying to snatch the peanut from the white one. Terrific analogy for what the main character was struggling with!

The title also sparked my curiosity--I wondered what a day at the beach had to do with Sunday school. Great job!